


A Hope Held Deep Within the Heart

by Chibifukurou



Category: Nabari no Ou
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-13
Updated: 2011-12-13
Packaged: 2017-10-27 07:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/293025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibifukurou/pseuds/Chibifukurou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the end, even the most apathetic person has hope hidden in their heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Hope Held Deep Within the Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kantayra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kantayra/gifts).



> Warning: Spoilers for the end of the Nabari No Ou anime
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This story was written for personal enjoyment and entertainment purposes.

Yoite’s death hadn’t really come as a surprise. He'd known it was going to happen since the second time they'd met. For most of the first months that they'd known each other their main goal had been to have him die as soon as possible and to ensure that his presence was wiped from reality.

Things had changed after they had faced off against the Kairoshu. After Yoite had been forced to realize that they all cared for him, even Thobari-sensei. Miharu had cared for him so much, that he’d been willing to use the Shinra-ban-sho to save Yoite’s life. He hadn’t been able to imagine his life without Yoite. Together, it was almost as if they made a whole person, so having him gone was like being broken again after knowing what it felt like to be fixed. He was alone again and he had to find some way to handle it without falling back into apathy. Yoite wouldn’t have wanted him to give up like that.

"Miharu are you going to be okay, honey?" Hanna asked.

He nodded. Then put on his best evil mask. "Of course I will, or do you think Thobari-sensei would like to comfort me." He fluttered his eyes coyly.

Relishing the fact that he could still make Thobari freeze and go pale. At least losing Yoite hadn’t stopped him from having fun. It still felt good to torture Thobari, and even when he'd been whole he'd never felt guilty for it. Despite his amusement, his main concern was still seeing to Yoite. Miharu couldn’t just leave everything the way it was, even though he knew that Yoite was safely away from the pains of the world. If he didn't find somewhy to memorialize Yoite, then it was like he had been wiped from existence. They wouldn’t even be able to give him a proper funeral ceremony. So he would have to do what he could.

"I want to take Yoite's rocking chair with me."

Hanna smiled gently at him. “Of course. Thobari would be happy to help you carry it back to your grandmother’s home."

“Hanna…I’m not sure about this…" Thobari said.

"Memories, dear. He’ll want to gather together as many memories of Yoite as he can." Hanna replied, which cut off any more objections from Thobari.

Miharu was grateful enough to let her pull him into a hug and even kiss his forehead before they left for his grandmother’s house.

Thobari grumbled about having to carry the rocking chair down four flights of stairs, across half a mile of sidewalk, and back up two flights of stairs. It still wasn’t enough to make Miharu feel sorry enough for him to volunteer to help.He had plans for the chair and they didn't involve wearing himself out carrying it to his grandmother's house.

#  
Once Sensei was gone and it was dark enough that nobody was likely to see him sneak out - nobody but a ninja anyway - Miharu gathered together Yoite's Hat and Coat and tied them to the chair with his prized scarf. He hoisted the whole thing up as high as he could so that the chair's runners wouldn't scrape against the stairs that led up into the hills.

It was hard to carry the chair all the way up to where the rail road tracks were, but he managed it. Things at least got a little easier from there, since he could put the chair down on the side of the tracks and use it as a ramp to guide it the rest of the way up into the hills.

Soon he was at the bamboo grove and was able to leave the train tracks behind completely.

He placed the rocking chair at the back of the train car, between the two battered sets of seats. Then he spread Yoite’s coat over the seat, like he was still sitting there. The scarf he threw over the back of the chair. He knew he should leave Yoite’s hat too, but he couldn’t bear to leave it behind yet.

It was still too soon.

#

His lip quiver and he let crocodile tears gather in the corner of his eyes. "Thobari-sensei you're mean!"

Sensei, predictably, let go of him quickly, if only so that he could a make warding gesture to protect himself against Miharu's quivering lip, but it was enough of an opening for Miharu to get away.

Now Miharu just had to sneak out of the restaurant and back to the train car. There, he doesn't have to remember that he had responsibilities and he was free to mourn without anyone expecting him to become miraculously better.

Salvation came in an unexpected package when Grandmother came up behind Thobari, the spatula she held in one hand beating a tattoo against her opposite palm. It’s a sign of impending chaos that most people don't see, as Grandmother did not believe in airing the family disputes in front of strangers. But it was a move Miharu has learned to be wary of, because he knows what comes next.

"Thobari-sama, you aren't being mean to my dear grandson, are you? And here I thought you were such a nice young man."

She pressed the back of her hand against her forehead  
dramatically. "Oh, to be young again and have such a kind tutor interested in my well being and willing to come to the family restaurant to gain discuss my future with my family."

Thobari froze. Miharu could almost see the icicles. Grandmother, in her own overly dramatic fashion, had just made it very difficult for Thobari to keep harassing him. The regulars who had known Grandmother in her youth were stifling their chuckles with their hands, well aware of where Miharu had learned most of his tricks.

"Miharu, my dear grandson, why don't you go fetch me some bonito flakes while this nice young gentleman explains what he would like to do about your education." She grabbed Thobari's arm as he tried to inch way from her without being noticed.

"Of course, Grandmother. It would be my honor to have you discuss my education with such an experienced man as Thobari-sensei." He and Grandmother shared one last amused snicker at Thobari's expense before Miharu took advantage of her permission to leave the restaurant early, and slipped out the kitchen door, leaving Thobari firmly entrapped in her clutches.

#

Miharu wasn't expecting Thobari to have backup, so when he  
stumbled over Gau sitting on the steps leading up into the hills he couldn't immediately think of an explanation to give him that wouldn't give away more information than he would like. Unlike Thobari-sensei, Gau wasn’t influenced by his tricks.

Gau stood up but didn't walk down the stairs. Instead, he waited for Miharu to come up and join him, which Miharu didn't have much choice but to do.

"Gau-san I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I was just on my way to the train station to head back to school, but I had something I wanted to give you first." He held out a bento box wrapped in a fine cotton kerchief. "It's for Yoite. I was hoping you could let him know that we all still miss him."

Miharu froze almost as solidly as Thobari-sensei had at his grandmother's interruption. "Gau…"

Gau cut him off before he had to think of an excuse for why he was climbing the steps that led up to the train station, and away from his grandmother’s home.

"It's alright I still talk to Raikou sometimes too." He turned to climb up the stairs. "The spider-lilies are beautiful this time of year and he loved them dearly."

It wasn't much of an explanation, but by the time Miharu reached the train cars and unwrapped the kerchief to reveal a bento box stuffed to the brim with sweet cakes and fried rice, a small thermos of lemon cider tucked up against the side, he was pretty sure he'd figured it out. The spider lilies were beautiful this time of year, particularly around the Shimizu estate. Even if Raikou had abandoned his family name, the estate was a good place for his shrine. A fitting memorial to one of the last samurai who would ever stand as judge of the Nabari world.

“How have you been Yoite? I ran into Gau today, he says he still misses you.” Miharu rested his head on the chair’s seat and closed his eyes so that he could imagine it was Yoite’s lap he was resting on.

He could almost feel phantom fingers run through his hair. “I miss you too. I wish you could come back to me.”

There was a quiet meow from behind him. He turned to see a small, black kitten sitting in the doorway.

“Hi, kitty. How did you get here?” It was a long way from town.

The cat meowed again and stalked over to him, hopping up onto the train’s seat to nibble on the food in the bento box, paying special attention to the little cakes Gau had tucked into it.

Miharu made shooing motions at him. “Stop that. That’s food for Yoite.”

The kitten meowed again, before grabbing one of the cakes in his mouth and hopping off of the seat to curl up in Miharu’s lap.

Once the cat had settled, a feeling of completeness settled over Miharu. It was the same feeling as when he had been with Yoite. How? It was impossible. Still if there was there was any way to come back Yoite would be the one to manage it...”Yoite?”

The kitten just purred

#

Katai Shinkou


End file.
